PROJECT

Design a helpful mobile app

In this project, we’ll design and prototype a mobile app

Project stages

1. Define our challenge
2. Empathise with our users
3. Think of ideas
4. Design a prototype app
5. Test our prototype app

Activity 1

Fill in a cover sheet

STEPS

1. Fill in the cover sheet with your name and today’s date.
2. Tell us if you’ve done any design before.
3. What did you design?

10

MINS

Activity 2

Understand the design process

STEPS

1. Read each step. What do you think it might involve?
2. Take 5 mins to find something at home you love to use.
3. Tell us what features you like about it.

30

MINS

Activity 3

Think like a designer

STEPS

• Look at the mindsets on the sheet. Choose a favourite.
• Decorate it and add your own examples. Why do you like it?
• Discuss each mindset and what it means.

20

MINS

Activity 4

Choose a person to design for

STEPS

• Pick a person from the worksheet.
• Or choose someone you know in real life.
• Alternatively, choose a celebrity or someone famous.

10

MINS

Activity 5

Choose a challenge

STEPS

1. Look at the design challenges.
2. What do you think each one involves?
3. Vote on the challenge you’d like to do.

10

MINS

Activity 6

Frame your design challenge

STEPS

• Fill in the details for your design challenge.
• Decide why this challenge is important to your person.
• Why might it be useful for us to revisit this sheet later?

10

MINS

Activity 7

Create a profile of your user

STEPS

• Capture basic details about your person.
• Think about their needs in relation to the design challenge.
• Think of a story about your person. Share this story with the group.

30

MINS

Activity 8

Design your app

STEPS

• List your person’s needs. Add your ideas for features that might help them.
• Draw or write rough ideas on scrap paper or sticky notes.
• Think of a name and tagline for your app.

60

MINS

Activity 9

Sketch

your app

STEPS

• Sketch a start screen for your app.
• Create more screens for your feature ideas.
• Print extra worksheets if you need them.

60

MINS

Activity 10

Make your prototype app

STEPS

• For this stage you need a smartphone.
• Download Marvel App. Create a free account.
• Take photos of your screen sketches. Add links between them.

30

MINS

Activity 11

Run a quick test

STEPS

• Ask an adult or friend to role play your user.
• Invite them to click through your app in Marvel App.
• Ask the questions on the sheet.

30

MINS

Activity 12

Plan next steps

STEPS

• Think about the project you’ve just completed.
• What was most fun?
• What could have gone better?
• Share your project with the group.

30

MINS

WELL DONE

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

Visit our website www.designclub.org.uk for more projects and challenges :)